Improving Policing in Difficult Times

A Dinner with the West Midlands Chief Constable, Mr Chris Sims was held on Wednesday 12th October, at 19.00 for 19.30 at the Botanical Gardens, Westbourne Road, Edgbaston, B15 3TR.

Chris Sims provided a candid talk about three key issues facing the police service: the aftermath of the riots in August; the impact of public sector cuts and the introduction of an elected police commissioner.

A key theme of his talk was the undermining of public confidence in the police service. Police forces around the country face a £2billion squeeze as the Government austerity measures begin to bit. In the West Midlands from a budget of £600 million a £120 million will need to be found in savings. This will mean cuts in service provision as well as jobs. Even though figures show that crime rates have fallen, fear of crime has not. In a response to a question on the management of the riots he felt that the use and management of information by the media covering the riots created a climate of crisis very much adding fuel to the public perception of the police forces’ ability to cope. Although there are pros and cons to introducing an elected police commissioner, the cost of holding elections after the local elections in May 2012 will be a very expensive exercise. He felt that any manifesto for a campaign would have to make policing on the streets central to addressing public fear of crime. A summary of the discussion can be found here.

Prior to Chris Sims taking up his responsibilities as Chief Constable of West Midlands Police in June 2009, he began his policing career in 1980 with the Metropolitan Police force, rising to the rank of chief inspector. In 1999 he took up the role of Assistant Chief Constable for West Midlands Police, later appointed Deputy Chief Constable. Before becoming Chief Constable of Staffordshire in 2007, Mr Sims was the Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Policing Policy and Practice at the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) based in London. He was responsible for research and evaluation, doctrine development and implementation and portfolio management. A graduate of St Peter’s College, Oxford, Mr Sims also achieved an MBA from Warwick University.

He was awarded the Queen's Policing Medal (QPM) for distinguished service in the Queen's Birthday Honours List in 2010.

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